Paper Genius
by nebula2
Summary: After years of avoiding the Christmas season, this year David Rossi finds the holiday spirit growing within him. His challenge - how to satisfy that feeling. With the advice of some friends, and a little thought and generosity on his party, he might just find a way and make the holiday special for someone else along the way. Written for the Christmas gift exchange on CCOAC
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Criminal Minds and its characters aren't mine, I'm merely borrowing them for entertainment purposes._

**_AN: So once again I'm not sure this whole story will be posted by Christmas. Sorry, I'm having issues with getting in the right mood this year. I'll try my best though. This was written for the Christmas Gift Exchange at CCOAC. It was written for flamegirl22 and my prompts were: "When Christmas Comes to Twon", snow, gingerbread houses, hot chocolate in front of a fireplace. All but one appear in this chapter. Hope you all enjoy!_**

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It was a dreary, cold December day as David Rossi drove the familiar route from his mansion to the BAU in Quantico. As it was still early enough in the month for Christmas songs to be scattered on his usual radio station, he had left it on this morning. The many decorated buildings that he passed though reminded him of what time of year it was. Surprisingly though he didn't feel the usual despondency that he had in years passed. In fact, he was sort of enjoying the sights as he drove this morning. He had even sent his mother and siblings Christmas cards this year, the first time in years that he had done so. Maybe he wasn't exactly bubbling over with the Christmas spirit but he didn't feel as much like the Grinch as he had in years past.

The only thing that Dave could attribute the change in attitude to was the fact that the Galen case had finally been solved. Wrapping the case up may not have changed much in the lives of the Galen kids but at least it had brought closure - for them and him. He had actually received a Christmas Card from Connie the other day, giving him an update on their lives. Rossi had added the Galens to his very short list of people to sends cards to this year, which other than those he had already sent, included only his teammates.

As he turned onto the FBI Academy grounds, a Chritmas song started playing on the radio. For the first time in years, David Rossi didn't change the station or turn the radio off. Instead, he let the holiday song play as he made his way to his usual parking spot near the BAU. As he walked into the building the veteran profiler subconsciously continued to hum the Christmas tune, unaware of the looks his actions was gaining him.

Reaching the sixth floor, Rossi strolled to his office. He stopped short in front of the door without going inside staring at the wreath that had been placed on the door. The circle of evergreen boughs was adorned with fake holly berries and a huge silver bow on the top.

After a few moments, Rossi turned from the door and looked to his teammates gathered nearby in the bullpen. Morgan, Prentiss and Reid were all seated at their desks whith their technical analyst, Penelope Garcia, perched on the edge of Morgan's desk.

"Any of you know who did this?" Rossi asked.

Aware of his dislike for Christmas due to the previous year, his teammates were all reluctant to answer. Reid grabbed a file and was suddenly very interested in it. Morgan and Prentiss both shook their heads in reply. The only one to offer a verbal reply was a very sheepish Garcia.

"I did, sir" the technical analyst admitted. "It looked so plain compared to all the other doors that I just had to add something," she added as a way of an explanation.

Rossi looked around at the other offices that lined the bullpen. Each door sported some kind of holiday decorations. Agent Belle, who was Jewish, had decorated her door with things related to Hanukkah. Even Hotch's door was decorated, having been covered with candy cane wrapping paper and a wreath that matched his own. The fact that Rossi had seen that particular wrapping paper covering Garcia's office door led him to believe their technical analyst had been responsible for decorating the unit chief's door as well.

"It looks nice," Rossi said simply. Turning, he entered his office without waiting to see what his teammates thought of his reaction.

Walking over to his desk, Rossi sat down and flipped on his computer. He was working his way through his email when there was a knock on his door. Looking up he saw Aaron Hotchner strolling in.

"Do you have a minute?" Hotch asked, holding a case file in each hand. "I'd like a second opinion on which case the team should take next.

"Isn't that part of the media liaison's job?" Rossi asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Usually, but Agent Todd is no JJ. She's doing a decent job, don't get me wrong, but I would appreciate a more veteran opinion on this one," Hotch replied, trying his best to be diplomatic about the request.

Rossi smiled. He had known Aaron Hotchner too long not to be able to read in between the lines. Agent Jordan Todd had made a crucial mistake in Hotch's eyes early in her stint with the team. Though she had done a lot to redeem herself, that one mistake would follow her throughout the rest of her time with the team. Given enough time, Todd could redeem herself in the Unit Chief's eyes but JJ would be back from maternity leave before then, and in Rossi's estimation this job was not what Jordan Todd had anticipated.

"Pull up a chair," Rossi said, motioning to the empty chairs across the desk from him.

Hotch turned and pushed the office door shut to give them some privacy. "I see you left the wreath there," he commented as he settled down across from the elder profiler.

Rossi shrugged. "I kind of like it. I think perhaps a bit of the Christmas spirit is finding a way to seep back into me."

"Really? Perhaps I should bring Jack over to your place the next time he wants to watch The Polar Express then. That kid loves that movie but if I hear the song "When Christmas Comes To Town" one more time I may actually lose my mind."

Rossi smiled, knowing the man would never follow through on it. He cherished the time he did get to spend with Jack too much not to do whatever the boy wanted to do. "Rumor around the office is you already have - what with managing to get the team a whole week of uninterrupted leave for Christmas."

Hotch shrugged. "Everyone deserves a Christmas off now and then," he commented as he pushed the files he carried across the desk to the more experienced profiler.

Without a word Dave took the files and opened them, quickly scanning the material within. The first case seemed to be along the lines of what they usually dealt with - three women had gone missing in the pass three months in Flagstaff, Arizona only to turn up dead a week later. The third body had just turned up two days prior, prompting the local's request for help. The UnSub had a distinct pattern going, and the locals expect to have three weeks from the disposal of his last victim until he struck again. The next case had a bit more of an unusual flare to it.

"Elves going missing," Rossi commented in disbelief as he started looking over the case. "The holidays really do bring out the cooks, doesn't it."

"Yeah. Needless to say, Brighton, Ohio is suddenly having a shortage of people willing to dress up as Santa's helpers for different events."

"I'm not sure why anyone would want to dress up in an elf costume to begin with," Rossi commented as he continued looking through the information provided. In the last week, three of Santa's helpers had gone missing. In each case, they had clocked out of work but had never made it home. The body of missing elf number one had turned up the day before in a dumpster near the mall he had worked at. There were clear signs of torture and a sprig of mistletoe had been shoved down the young woman's throat.

"Well, the UnSub nabbing the elves seems to be more fast paced. We've got three missing people, one dead, in a week compared to three missing people over a three month time period in Flagstaff," Rossi commented. "I'd have to say we should head to Ohio. I can look at the Flagstaff material more closely and give the locals some tips on how to proceed with their investigation."

"That was my thoughts exactly," Hotch said with a nod. "Though I appreciate the volunteering for the consult," he added. "I could send one of the others in here to help you if you don't think having someone to brainstorm with would lead to group think."

"You're not going to let me live that comment down, are you?" Rossi asked as Hotch stood up, picking up the file for the Ohio case as he did so.

"Now why would I do that?" Hotch said, one of his rare smiles coming to his face.

Rossi grunted as he opened the Flagstaff file and started spreading things out on his desk. "How about sending Reid up here? He'll be the easiest to get caught up on the material."

"He'll have that material read before you finish it," Hotch commented as he headed for the door.

"That he probably will," Rossi commented softly, already immersed in the information sent to them by the Flagstaff police department.

Five days later, six weary profilers made their way off the sixth floor elevator of the building that housed the BAU. Three more elves had been taken while they had searched for a break in the case in Brighton, Ohio and the last two of the three original victims had turned up dead. Though it hadn't been the results they had hoped for, at least the UnSub, one Charlie Larkin, who had been molested as a child by a family friend who had dressed up as an elf for extra money during the holidays, was now behind bars. With one more UnSub off the streets and closure for the families of the victims killed, it was a victory of sorts.

Normally after the five days of long hours and late nights that his team had put in, Agent Hotchner would have sent his team home for some rest when the wheels of their jet had touched down in Quantico. However, their holiday leave was supposed to start the next day, and Hotch wanted the paper work for this case wrapped up before the week long vacation started. He was well aware of the holiday plans that most of his agents had as talk of those plans had occupied the short flight home from Ohio. The only two who didn't have any set plans for their time off was Rossi and Reid, although Reid had assured everyone that he had several academic projects to occupy his time during the break as both Morgan and Prentiss had invited him to join them.

Garcia was waiting to greet her travel weary teammates with a smile and a tray of mugs of hot chocolate with candy canes in them. Hotch found himself smiling at the jubilant technical analyst as he took a mug from the tray on his way to his office. It was just like Garcia to find some way to brighten their day a little.

"Too bad we don't have a fireplace," Rossi commented, as he picked up a mug for himself.

"I may work miracles in cyberspace but even I can't convince the FBI to add a fireplace into the BAU's decor," Garcia told him. "Though I'm sure you'll be able to find some lucky girl to snuggle up by the fireplace with during your time off."

"Alas, Kitten it looks as though I'm destined to spend my holiday alone. Too many years of being the Grinch doesn't exactly lead to many Christmas invitations."

Garcia's smile fell. "You could always join me and Kevin . . ."

Rossi smiled. "I wouldn't dream on intruding on you two love birds' holiday plans," he told her. "Don't worry about me. It's not the first Christmas I've spent alone," he added as he placed a kiss on the blonde's cheek before heading to his office to do paperwork.

Rossi settled down at his desk, taking a sip of the peppermint flavored hot chocolate before diving into his paperwork. Though taking work home with him wouldn't ruin any plans, he had no intention of doing so. His holiday might end up being lonely but he didn't plan on filling it with serial killers this year.

A few hours later, Rossi finished up his paper work and leaned back in his chair. Stretching his arms above his head, he tried to stretch out his stiff back muscles. Between little sleep, the flight home on the jet and paperwork his body was starting to cry out for a little TLC. Unfortunately, a little stretching was all it was going to get at the moment.

Finishing the stretch, he stood and gathered his paper work. Strolling out of his office he noted that the three desks of his teammates in the bullpen were empty as he covered the short distance to Hotch's office. Though he knocked, Rossi didn't wait for an answer before strolling in.

"The others have finished already?" he asked, waving his paperwork toward the bullpen.

"Yeah, though looking at the handwriting I'd say that Reid was giving Morgan and Prentiss an early Christmas present."

"Ah," Rossi replied knowingly. "Perhaps I should have thought of that myself."

"You and me both," Hotch commented.

"Anything I can help you with?" Rossi asked, sliding his paperwork onto Hotch's desk.

"I don't want to hold you up from starting you vacation. I'll get things done eventually," the unit chief replied.

"Nonsense. It's not like I've got anyone waiting for me at home or any plans. Two people will get things done quicker. Just tell me what you need me to do," Rossi said, taking a seat in a chair across from Hotch. His back was just going to have to deal with more sitting.

Hotch sighed but didn't protest any more. David Rossi was probably one of the most stubborn people he knew and trying to argue with him would only waste time. Instead he started delegating some paper work to his friend, grateful for the help that would get him out of the office quicker as he had arranged with Haley to have Jack during his time off.

"So what are you going to do during your time off?" Hotch asked his friend as he and Rossi made their way to the parking garage after finally clocking out. The building was deserted except for security and janitorial staff.

"Not sure," Rossi replied honestly.

"You could go home. See family and old friends," Hotch suggested.

"I don't really have a desire to revisit my past. Think I'll keep to Christmas present, thank you."

Hotch didn't press for details. He knew from past conversations that his life before joining the BAU was something that David Rossi preferred not to discuss.

"You can come and hang out with Jack and me," Hotch offered. "Jack wants to build a gingerbread house. I figure that should be a time consuming project with a four year-old."

Rossi laughed. "And one you are quite welcome to experience by yourself," the veteran profiler told him. He grew more serious as he continued. "Besides, as much as I would like to find something to make this holiday seem special I'm not about to intrude on my friends' times with their loved ones. I know how much you miss Jack, and I'm sure he misses you just as much. He needs this time with his father without having to share it. I'll figure something out."

Hotch didn't know what to counter Rossi's argument with so he didn't even try. He did, however, let out a long sigh before speaking again. "I don't know what else to suggest about not having to spend the holiday alone then, though if you want to do something special perhaps you should put some of your money to use. Make the holiday special for someone else in need. You could give gifts to the children in the hospital or you know the mall has those Paper Angel Trees. I usually try to fulfill one or two of the requests placed on them myself each year. It's a good feeling knowing you're helping someone have a little brighter of a holiday season."

"Perhaps I will do that," Rossi commented thoughtfully. Since his first book had taken off, Rossi had never been one to be stingy with his money when he saw a way to help somebody out but deep down he knew it wasn't exactly what he was looking for.

They reached Hotch's car first and after saying good-bye to his friend, Rossi continued to his car on his own. Climbing behind the wheel of his SUV, Rossi determined that tonight he was going to go home and relax. Come tomorrow he would head to the nearest mall and fulfill a few Christmas wishes from the Paper Angel Tree as Hotch had suggested. Maybe while helping others he could figure out how to fulfill this empty feeling inside of him.


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN: Okay, and now that I have this chapter finished I can get some sleep before going into work tonight. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as I finally get Reid into the story - yes Morgan is involved too (I can't help myself). Though I would like to get at least one more chapter up tomorrow I'm not promising anything so Happy Holidays to all my readers and I promise to finish this as soon as possible.**_

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Never having been one for shopping, Rossi couldn't help but wonder what had made him think this was a good idea. Here he was, standing in the middle of the crowded mall, looking down at the paper angels he held in his hands. He had told the lady running the booth to just give him six random angels, not about to take the time to pick out his own. Still, that left him with actually shopping for the gifts.

~_I should have brought one of the women along with me ~, _Rossi thought as he shuffled through the cut out angels again. What little Christmas spirit he had been feeling this year was rapidly leaving him. The best-selling author was convinced that the mob of people around him was sucking away any Christmas cheer he might have been feeling. ~ _I should have given money to the Children's hospital and let them buy toys.~_

"David Rossi? This is the last place I expected to see you." The familiar voice of his raven-haired teammate floated to him through the crowd, though it took several moments for Rossi to pick her out. By the time he had Prentiss was speaking again. "Are you here for a book signing?"

"No, and keep it down in case people start recognizing me and asking for autographs," Rossi admonished her, as Prentiss joined him by the ornamental tree that decorated the mall corridor. That was the last thing he needed - people deciding that one of his novels would make a better gift signed.

"Then what are you doing in a mall? I thought you had Garcia do all your Christmas shopping for you? Which by the way, I adored the lovely silk scarf you got me," Prentiss said, referring to the present that had been waiting on her desk when they had returned from their last case.

Rossi grinned sheepishly. "Never been one for shopping," he commented ruefully. "Which is why I don't know why I ever thought this was a good idea," he added, holding up the paper angels.

Prentiss took a moment to look closely at what he was holding. Having picked an angel from the tree herself while finishing her Christmas shopping, Prentiss recognized them immediately.

"Aww that is such a sweet thing for you to do. You'll make some kids very happy."

"That was the plan, although I'm at a loss as to where to start fulfilling these requests."

Prentiss smiled. It wasn't often that she was able to do something for her older co-worker and after the little things she had known him to do for her and others, she was more than happy to be able to return the favor.

"Then let me lead the way kind sir," Prentiss told him, slipping her arm through one of Rossi's.

Rossi quickly got over the surprise of the gesture and let himself be led through the mall by his raven-haired teammate. In no time she had helped him fulfill the requests on the paper angels, as well as do her own shopping along the way. Rossi felt relieved as he saw the makeshift station with the paper angel tree come back into view.

"Thank-you for your help, Emily," Rossi said after turning his angels and corresponding purchases over to the ladies running the event. "If it weren't for you, I would probably still be standing in the middle of the mall wondering where to start."

Prentiss laughed at the image that formed at that comment. "You did look a little lost when I found you. I take it shopping malls were never your thing."

"Not if I could help it. Besides, handing a women a credit card and telling her to go pick out something she likes is so much easier than trying to find something she likes."

"And none of your marriages worked?" Prentiss asked lightly.

"Sadly no. Guess money really can't buy happiness. Do you have any plans for the rest of the night?"

Prentiss shook her head in response.

"Let me buy you dinner as a thank-you, then."

"Well, the thank-you isn't necessary as I was happy to help out a friend but dinner would be nice."

"Wonderful. I know this nice little restaurant not far from here. You'll love it!"

"Sounds great," Prentiss said, falling in step with Rossi as he headed for the exit of the mall.

Even without setting his alarm clock Spencer Reid awoke at about the same time he did every morning. Though he was on vacation from work, his body apparently didn't want to let him sleep in. Climbing from bed, he turned off the alarm he had set for two hours later so he wouldn't be late picking up Morgan. His friend was heading back to Chicago during his vacation time and had asked for a ride to the airport. After taking a few moments to stretch his sleep stiffened muscles, Spencer padded toward the bathroom. At least he wouldn't have to rush to get ready.

Reid lingered longer in the shower than he normally did, letting the hot water cascade over his body. The hot water felt good compared to the cold December temperatures they had been having. Even Ohio had been frigid and more than once Reid had found himself wishing their last case had taken them somewhere a little warmer.

Finally stepping out of the shower, he reached for his towel to dry off. The room was hazy with steam from the shower and the genius found himself taking his time finishing his morning routine knowing that even the heated apartment air would feel cool when he first stepped from the room. Eventually he had no other choice, and Reid left the cozy warmth of the bathroom and headed for the kitchen.

After starting the coffee pot, Reid went about making himself breakfast. He kept it simple, scrambling some eggs to make an egg sandwich with. He didn't linger long over the simple meal, and soon Reid was leaving his kitchen and heading for his desk in the living room, his second cup of coffee grasped in his left hand.

With plenty of time on his hands, Spencer Reid settled down at his desk and pulled out a couple of sheets of stationary. His letters to his mother recently had been short, due to the demands of his job, and he planned on making up for that with today's letter. He had thought about flying out to Vegas during his time off but decided against it. His mother had never been a big fan of Christmas, the holiday actually being the source of one of the earliest arguments between his parents that he could remember. Going to see her now would be no more special than if he went a month from now. What would be different though would be the fact that seeing the other families trying to make the holiday as special as possible for their loved ones would remind him of something else he had missed out on. He was well aware that his life was far from normal even without any reminders.

By the time he signed his name to the letter, he had filled three pages with his tiny handwriting. Slipping it into an envelope, he glanced at the clock on his wall. Leaving now would mean arriving a bit early at his friend's house but he didn't think Morgan would mind. After addressing the envelope, Reid donned his coat, hat, scarf and gloves, grabbed his messenger bag and the letter and headed out the door.

Twenty minutes later, Reid was standing on the front steps of Morgan's townhouse. The familiar ring of his friend's doorbell was followed closely by the sounds of a barking dog. With his hands in his pocket, Reid found himself taking a step back from the door.

It wasn't long before Morgan was opening the front door, one hand on Clooney's collar.

"Hey man, come on in," Morgan greeted, stepping to one side to give Reid room to enter. "I'm almost ready. Just give me a few minutes."

"No rush," Reid replied, stepping cautiously past Clooney. "I'm early, so we've still got time," he added as Morgan shut the door behind him.

Reid looked around the living room. Though he and Morgan had hung out after work recently, it had been awhile since he had been in the other profiler's house. Despite the fact that he was spending Christmas in Chicago with his mother, Morgan had decorated his house for the holiday. Christmas lights lined the inside of the windows, two stockings hung from the fireplace below the garland, and an artificial tree stood in the corner. A string of Christmas cards hung along the one wall.

"If you're going away for the holidays why did you bother to decorate?" Reid asked, as Morgan ordered Clooney to go lay down and then headed in the direction of the stairs.

"Because in this line of work I've learned there is no such thing as guaranteed time off and if I got stuck here in the D.C. area for Christmas then I wanted a tree. Besides, it helps set the mood," Morgan replied as he walked up the steps.

"Set the mood?" Spencer commented quietly, as he continued to look around the room at the decorations. He didn't get it. For the most part he just thought all the decorations that people were putting up was a waste of time and money, not to mention some of them were just downright tacky.

Spencer walked over to the fireplace and looked at the stockings, which according to the tales told to children, were supposed to be filled by Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. He knew for a fact that Morgan didn't believe in Santa Claus, so why had he hung the stockings. As he stared at them, he noticed that each one had a name on them. One said Derek while the other one said Clooney.

"He hung a stocking for his dog?" Reid questioned silently to himself, even as he questioned his friend's sanity. He remembered Rossi's comment on their last case about the holiday bringing the crazy out in people and wondered if this was an example of that.

"Oh, before I forget, the wrapped present on the coffee table is yours and isn't to be opened until Christmas Day," Morgan said as he came back downstairs carrying two duffel bags and a small suitcase.

"But we already exchanged Christmas gifts," Reid replied, glancing toward the afore mentioned present before looking at Morgan, the question clear in his eyes.

"True, but like I said, that one is to be opened on Christmas. I know you're not much into the holiday beyond what you do to humor us, but I figure the more we try to involve you in holiday stuff the greater chance you might finally get what Christmas is about."

"Christmas is a manifestation of consumerism. It's an opportunity for card companies and stores to make a profit as people spend money they really don't have. Not to mention by perpetuating the myth of Santa Claus and his reindeer we are sending the message to children that it is okay to lie if it makes someone happy."

"You were one of those kids who tried telling other kids at school that Santa wasn't real, weren't you?" Morgan commented, placing his bags on the floor by the door.

Reid nervously scraped the toe of his left shoe against the carpet and stuffed his hands in his pocket as he looked down at the ground.

"I thought so," Morgan replied, crossing the room to the coffee table. He picked up the wrapped gift and held it out to his friend. "Don't worry, I didn't spend money I don't have on it, and I think you'll really like it. And with any luck it might whittle away a bit of that holiday black cloud that follows you around."

"Thanks," Reid mumbled as he took the gift from Morgan.

Morgan smiled. Being friends with Reid could be strange at times but it was totally worth it.

"Just let me make sure Clooney has enough food and water until Garcia stops by later and then I'll be ready to go," Morgan told him, heading for the kitchen, leaving Reid alone in the living room looking from the gift in his hand to the tree and then to the stockings hanging over the fireplace. Despite all his book knowledge Reid just couldn't grasp what people found so special about this particular holiday.


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: Okay, so there is one more chapter planned after this one. Hope to have it written and posted soon. _

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After cleaning up from his breakfast, Rossi took his second mug of coffee and headed for the living room. He had already started a fire in the fireplace, the extra heat making the room very cozy. Strolling over to his oversized easy chair, Rossi let himself sink down into the soft cushion before the fireplace. Fake evergreen branches graced the mantle, accenting the huge red bow in the middle of the fireplace. That and the candy dish in the shape of Santa's sleigh, with Santa himself holding the reins of the eight tiny reindeer, were the only holiday decorations in the room. The candy dish had been a gift from Garcia, along with the huge wreath that now graced his front door.

Rossi knew the Christmas decorations that he had collected during his three marriages were packed away in the attic somewhere but he hadn't gotten around to even looking for them. After his failed attempt yesterday at the mall to capture some of the joy he use to feel around the holiday, he was contemplating doing just that today, right after he finished his coffee. Perhaps making his home more festive would help him solve the feeling that something was missing this year.

Fifteen minutes later, Rossi was looking around the dusty attic that he hadn't been in for quite awhile. The film of dust covering everything was a testament to that. Looking around at the collection of boxes and containers, he tried to decide where to start. Giving that he hadn't decorated for the holidays in years he figured the Christmas decorations would not be near the front. Deciding the best course of action would be to start in the back and work his way forward, Rossi picked his way through the collection of accumulated boxes and containers.

The first few boxes he checked ended up being things that he had taken with him when he had moved out of his parents' house. He then found things labeled in Carolyn's neat handwriting, including one box labeled Christmas. Picking it up he carried it toward the steps and then returned to his search.

An hour later he had found five more boxes containing Christmas decorations, along with two large outdoor nutcrackers and decided to call it quits. One by one, he lugged the boxes down to the living room. Lowering himself slowly onto the floor, he started sorting through them deciding what was still useable and what was either not in good condition any more or just too tacky. Most of the lights he found had just become a jumbled ball of wire and he decided that buying new ones would be the better option. By the time he had finished going through the boxes though, he had more than enough ornaments to decorate a tree, two tree skirts, garland a collection of holiday snow globes that his second wife had collected and apparently not taken with her, a myriad of holiday theme musical toys that he planned on finding out if they worked and giving them to Garcia if they did, knowing the tech would enjoy them, and his grandmother's Christmas china that he had forgotten that he had.

~_All I need now is a tree_, ~ Rossi thought as he started throwing the stuff he didn't want into the garbage bags he had retrieved from the kitchen.

Having always had a real tree in the house, usually going somewhere he could choose and cut down the tree himself, he had never owned an artificial tree. Thought of cutting down a tree thought brought images of the bloody ax from the Galen crime scene to mind. Despite the progress he was making, things were still a little too fresh. For the first time in his life he decided to skip a real tree and buy an artificial one, even if that did mean braving the crowds at the stores once more. At least he could avoid the mall this time.

As he headed outside with the trash bags, memories of Christmases past came to mind. Decorating the tree had always been a big thing in the Rossi household when he was growing up. He and his sisters use to draw straws to see who got toe place the angel on top of the tree. Rossi had won more than his fair share of times, always causing his two sisters to pout as he proudly climbed the step ladder to place the angel on top of the tree. Next if was decorating the tree with Carolyn. His first wife had grown up putting a star on the top and every Christmas season would start out with the argument of whether a star or an angel would grace the top of their tree. More often than not he had let Carolyn have her way and put the gold star they had bought their first year together on the top most branch. The year following his first divorce he been spent with his oldest sister's family. As he continued through the memories, Rossi realized that he had always shared the task of decorating a tree with someone else.

Walking back into the living room, Rossi looked at the collection of ornaments. Suddenly the thought of putting them on a tree alone didn't seem quite so appealing. In fact, the idea of spending the holiday alone didn't set too well with him. Not that he was about to go knocking on one of his teammate's doors and intrude on their holiday but he suddenly wished he had somebody to share the festivities with.

And suddenly Rossi realized what it was that was missing this holiday season - fellowship. Despite the crowds, Rossi had actually found himself enjoying the afternoon after Prentiss had joined him. He still didn't like shopping, but having Emily there to guide him and talk with had made the task more enjoyable. Not to mention it felt good buying those gifts for the children knowing that he was helping to bring joy to someone's holiday.

However, he wasn't about to drop in on any of his teammates' holiday plans. There was however one teammate who hadn't made any plans.

Taking out his cell phone, Rossi scrolled through his lists of contacts. It didn't take him long to get to the one he was looking for. The number that only got used while on a case and even then not often.

"Hello?" came Spencer Reid's tentative greeting after the third ring.

"Hi, Spencer. It's Dave."

"Did we end up with a case?"

Rossi chuckled. He should have figured that Reid would jump right to that conclusion.

"No, no case. I was just calling to invite you up to my cabin for Christmas," Rossi told him. Given that he hadn't done much decorating around the mansion, decorating the cabin would be no harder than decorating here. The main difference was that the veteran profiler knew that Reid would be more at ease up at the cabin then here in the mansion. "I know it's sort of last minute, what with it being Christmas Eve already, but seeing as neither of us have any special plans, I thought spending the holiday together would be better than spending it alone."

"I've never been much on celebrating Christmas," Reid replied.

"It's never too late to start. Besides, we don't need to get fancy. Haven't done much celebrating around this time of year myself, but I thought maybe I'd try getting back into the spirit of things."

There was a pause on the other end of the line during which Rossi was certain that Reid was going to refuse to the invitation.

"Okay. I accept your invitation," Reid finally said, though being a profiler, Rossi didn't miss the uneasiness in his voice though. "Should I meet you up there?"

"No, I'll come pick you up," Rossi answered, thinking about the weather forecast he had caught that morning, which was calling for a mixture of snow and sleet in the area of his cabin. Though Reid didn't drive it much, Rossi had caught sight of the old Volvo the young genius drove and Rossi knew the vehicle wouldn't handle well on the dirt road leading to his cabin if bad weather set in. "How much time do you need to get ready?"

"A couple of hours at least."

Rossi glanced down at his watch and did some quick calculations as he had a few things he needed to do himself. "How about I pick you up at four then?" the veteran profiler suggested.

"Okay," Reid replied.

Rossi ended the call and glanced around at the decorations. He needed to pack them up to take with him to the cabin and then pack a few things. As he usually left clothes at his woodland retreat, grabbing his go-back to take with him would suffice for that. He would have to brave the grocery store to stock up on food for the trip as well as the tree. He briefly considered waiting to do the latter after he picked up Reid so that they could pick out the tree together but decided against it. Rossi could just picture the young genius totally over analyzing the whole process and the veteran profiler decided it best just to avoid that whole possibility this year.

So, after putting together what he needed to take with him and packing the car, David Rossi left the comforts of his mansion to brave the holiday crowds in the store once more. As he didn't want to leave Mudgie in the car while shopping, Rossi's plan was to swing back home briefly before heading up to the cabin to pick up his faithful companion. Switching on the radio as he pulled out of his driveway, Christmas songs filled the air and Dave Rossi found himself singing along.

* * *

Spencer Reid felt a wave of relief washed over him as Garcia's lyrical voice replaced the ringing.

"Penelope here. What's up, Super Genius?" Garcia asked, having seen Reid's name on her screen before answering the phone.

"Garcia, you've got to help me," Reid said, forgetting a greeting in his panicked state.

"Why? What's wrong?" Garcia asked, her mind automatically thinking something disastrous had happened.

"Rossi just invited me up to his cabin for Christmas, and as I couldn't think of a polite way to refuse the invitation, so he's picking me up in a few hours."

Garcia let out an audible sigh of relief before speaking. "Then what is the problem, sweetie?"

"It's Christmas. People expect gifts on Christmas and I have no idea what to get for Rossi."

There was a moment of silence before Garcia replied. "How much were you thinking on spending on a gift for him?"

"I don't care. I just want something that he'll appreciate."

"Well in that case you should buy him a PDA."

"A what?"

"A PDA, something you my Dark Ages friend would refuse to embrace, but Rossi isn't quite as reluctant to embrace technology. Once I show him how useful it is, he'll love it. They even had then on sale at the mall."

"Okay," Reid replied, willing to agree to almost anything right then. "Where would I find them and what do they look like?"

Garcia started to answer the double question and then thought better of it. "You know what, Sugar, you just sit tight and I'll run out and purchase it for you and bring it by your place. It'll be quicker and less of a headache for me."

"Thank-you, Garcia," Reid replied, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted. In his relief the last part of the comment went right over his head.

"You're quite welcome. See you in a bit."

After ending the call with Garcia, Reid turned his attention to making other preparations. He had no idea what he really needed for a few days up in the cabin. He wasn't even sure how rustic Rossi's cabin would be. Would it be like Gideon's, which with the exception of the state of the art security system was void of anything but the basic necessities, or would the cabin have tv and internet services? Reid wasn't sure, because while Rossi seemed to like his comfort he also didn't come off as fussy or overly attached to technology like Garcia was.

Reid spent the next few hours packing, unpacking and repacking his bag to take with him. He made sure he had a few books to read and his research material, hoping to still find some time to work on his latest paper while he was away. His host had to sleep sometime.

Finally decided he was prepared as best as he could be given the circumstances, Reid placed his bags next to his front door and glanced at the clock on the wall. He had fifteen minutes before Rossi would get here and he realized that Garcia had yet to show up. What would he do if Garcia didn't get here before the veteran profiler? Reid had experienced some pretty humiliating moments, but he was sure that spending Christmas Day at Rossi's cabin and not having a gift for his host would be the most humiliating ever.

A knock on his door made Reid jump. Recovering, he turned to look out the peep hole and was relieved to see the smiling face of Penelope Garcia.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't get here on time," Reid said after throwing open the door.

"Well, hello to you to," Garcia replied, a little perplexed and put off by Reid's greeting. She was use to the genius's social awkwardness by now, but even Reid usually had better greetings than that.

"I'm sorry, I'm just nervous," Reid said, realizing his blunder but not sure if a proper greeting would make the situation better or worse now. "Come in," he said, deciding the invitation would suffice. "I'm just really nervous," he added as Garcia stepped into his apartment.

"I can see," Garcia said lightly, smiling despite the situation. Even completely frazzled Reid had the adorable, child like quality about him that she found so endearing. "And you can relax a bit my friend because I have your present," she told him, holding up an already expertly wrapped object.

"Thank-you, Garcia. You're a life saver! I don't know how to thank-you."

"Aww, go on," Garcia replied, smiling brightly as she waved a hand in Reid's direction. "Though you know, a kiss on the cheek wouldn't be a bad thank-you."

Without given it a second thought to it, Reid leaned in and placed a quick kiss on the tech analyst's cheek.

Afterwards, Garcia spent a few minutes trying to calm Reid down. She started by going through the things that he had packed and reassuring him that he had packed the right things.

"Just relax and have fun," Garcia finally told him as Reid led her to the front door after they shared a cup of coffee.

"Relax? I don't even know why he invited me," Reid protested.

"Maybe because Scrooge had his awakening and wants to spend the holiday with a friend instead of alone," Garcia replied. As soon as she saw the look of confusion on the genius' face she knew her descriptive explanation hadn't been understood. "Never mind," she told him, with a wave of her hand. "Just think of it as two friends who don't have any other plans spending the holiday together and have fun."

"Have fun. Right," Reid repeated softly as he reached for the door. Opening it, he found himself face to face with Rossi, who had his hand raised as he was about to knock. "Agent Rossi?" he stuttered surprised. "Oh, um, hello. Won't you come in.?"

Rossi smiled and stepped into the apartment. "I sure hope you don't plan on calling me that the whole time. We are on vacation. You can use my first name, Spencer."

"Right. First name."

Hoping to give the flustered genius a moment to gather himself, Rossi turned his attention to Garcia. "Hello Penelope, don't you look lovely today."

"Why thank-you, sir," Garcia replied lightly. "I was just on my way out. I hope you and Spencer have a Merry Christmas," she said, standing up on tiptoes to place a kiss on Rossi's cheek.

"You too, Kitten," Rossi replied as Garcia headed out the still opened door with a final wave to Reid.

"So, are you ready?" Rossi asked, turning to Reid when Garcia was gone. "It's already going to be late when we get up there and I've got a great tree on the top of my SUV that needs to be decorated."

"Um, yeah. I'm all packed," Reid replied.

With Rossi's help, he gathered the things he was taken up to the cabin with him and the two left the apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: And here it is - the fourth and final chapter. I hope you've all enjoyed the story and hey I'm only two weeks after Christmas this year instead of a few months! Porgress! Flamegirl22 I hope this lived up to your expectations and your final prompt is in this chapter. _

* * *

Letting his mind drift away from the slumber it had been enjoying, Rossi slowly became aware of his surroundings. Outside he could hear the wind rusting through the trees surrounding his cabin. Mudgie's soft snore drifted up from the spot at the foot of the bed that the dog had claimed as his own. Stretching his arms out above him Dave stretched his sleep-stiffened muscles, breathing in deeply. As he did, he became aware of the aroma of coffee and blueberry.

Sitting up in the bed, Rossi recalled that he wasn't up at the cabin alone but that Spencer Reid had come with him. It had been dark when they got to the cabin, and Rossi didn't need to be a profiler to sense his colleague's unease as they had trudged toward the cabin. Having no problem navigating the rustic walkway in the dark, Rossi was soon navigating the porch steps, Mudgie hurrying up before him. After opening the front door, Rossi immediately turned on a couple lights before stepping aside to let his guest enter.

The two of them made short work of bringing the stuff in from the vehicle. As it was already late, Rossi had decided to keep dinner simple and after showing Reid to the extra bedroom, he headed for the kitchen to start some spaghetti. After eating, the two profilers carried the tree in from off the top of the SUV and set it up. Rossi had ended up opting for a real tree though he had got one at a place where they were already cut down. Getting the tree in the stand he had bought proved to be a bit difficult, as Rossi had not attempted the task in twenty years and this would mark the first Christmas tree that Reid would be a part of setting up and helping with the decoration.

The task was at last accomplished and Rossi had started going through the boxes of decorations he had brought. Reid had stood back, hesitant about joining in the festivities. After a little coaxing from Rossi though, the young genius was soon participating. The elder profiler soon noticed that his younger colleague was contemplating the placement of each ornament he put on the tree. Rossi considered telling Reid that he was over thinking the process but decided against it. He could tell the younger man was still nervous and he didn't want to do anything to make that worse. So what if it took a little longer to decorate the tree. Rossi let Reid put the angel on the top of the tree and then proceeded to show the younger man how to put the tinsel on the tree without over doing it.

Rossi smiled at the thought of the evening before. Though they hadn't stayed up much longer after completing the tree, Rossi had to admit the evening had gone smoothly. It was definitely the most enjoyable Christmas Eve he had experienced in a long time.

Climbing from the bed, Rossi grabbed his blue and black flannel bathrobe from the bed post and put it on as he headed from his bedroom. Mudgie did not stir at his owner's retreat and Rossi almost found himself envying the dog, part of him wishing he could stay in bed a bit longer himself. However, the aromas coming from presumably the kitchen were too enticing.

Walking through the living room, Rossi glanced toward the tree and smiled. It seemed right to have a tree up this year and despite there only being three presents under the tree. He had to admit that this year actually felt like Christmas. Coming up to the cabin had been the perfect idea.

As Rossi strolled into the kitchen, Reid was standing at the sink peering out the window. Rossi didn't miss the almost childlike look on the younger man's face.

Turning from the window to return to the pan on the stove, Reid noticed Rossi.

"It's snowing," Reid told him, a trace of a smile on his face. "Garcia's right, snow on Christmas is different from snow on another day."

Rossi nodded, walking to the window himself. It had been awhile since he had seen a white Christmas. "Yes, there is something magical about it," he commented, watching the snow drift slowly down covering the woodland scene outside in white.

"The coffee is still fresh and I'm about done with the blueberry pancakes," Reid said, expertly flipping a pancake.

"You didn't have to cook breakfast," Rossi said, tearing his eyes away from the snow to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"I like cooking," Reid said easily, feeling more at ease in the cabin than he had the night before. "Besides, from the look of the fridge you're planing quite a feast for dinner, so breakfast is the least I could do."

Rossi chuckled. He had gone a bit overboard with the dinner plans considering there were only two of them."I do appreciate it and those pancakes do smell good," he replied, pouring coffee into a mug.

After eating breakfast the two profilers retreated to the living room to open the few gifts that were sitting under the tree. As they settled in chairs near the decorated evergreen, Rossi prompted Reid to open the gift from Morgan first. The elder profiler had two reasons for this. First, he was nervous about the gift that he had gotten for the young genius. Secondly, if Morgan's gift of a blowup doll along with the snake skin wallet the dark-skinned profile had given him was any indication, Morgan's gift was sure to lighten the mood.

Reid pulled the candy cane adorned wrapping paper from the package to find a small plain box. Opening the box he pulled out a new scarf, a flashy dress shirt that Reid doubted he would ever actually wear, and a book. Reading the title, Reid looked at it feeling confused.

"Something wrong?" Rossi asked.

"I don't get why Morgan would give me this book," Reid admitted, holding up the yellow and black paper back.

Rossi chuckled the moment he read the title - Pick-up Lines for Dummies. Reid's expression became more confused at the elder man's reaction.

"It's a gag gift, Spencer," Rossi told the younger man softly. "Like the blowup doll that Morgan gave me."

Spencer nodded idly, understanding the concept but not the humor behind the gift. He flipped through a couple pages of the book. "Men actually say this kind of stuff to women?" he asked incredulously.

"You would be surprise what men will say in the hopes of getting lucky with a woman."

"And the women go for it?"

"Not all the time. You're just as likely to get a drink poured over your head as you are to get an offer to have a drink with them."

"Then why say something like this?" Reid asked, holding up the book.

"The thrill of the hunt, my boy," Rossi replied, holding back another chuckle at the perplexed way Reid was looking at him. "I wouldn't worry about it too much," he added.

Deciding that it was time for a change of subject, Rossi reached down and picked up his gift to Spencer. "Here, open mine," he said, handing the heavy package out to Reid.

Reid took the package from Rossi with a thank-you. Pulling the paper off, he found two old, leather bound books. Reid looked at the title of the top book, Great Expectations, which he remembered reading in highschool.

"I called Morgan for an idea on what to get you and he said you had a collection of old books. He wasn't too helpful for recalling which titles you already have so I hope those two aren't duplicates," Rossi said.

Reid picked up the top book and glanced at the second title - A Christmas Carol. "No, I don't have copies of either of these," the young genius informed him. "I haven't even read this one," he added, indicating the bottom book.

"You've never read Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol?" Rossi asked in disbelief. Reid shook his head. "You know Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future?"

"Garcia referred to you as Scrooge when we were talking yesterday," Reid commented, remember the mention of the name in his conversation about why Rossi had invited him to the cabin.

"Did she now?" Rossi said, mildly amused.

Reid looked up from the books and at his colleague. "Is that a bad thing? Should I have not repeated it?"

"Well, it isn't the most flattering thing I've ever been called, but I guess in a way it fits," Rossi conceded.

"Sorry," Reid commented, feeling his cheeks grow warm.

Rossi waved a hand. "Don't worry about it."

Wanting to change the topic himself now, Reid reached down and picked up the gift for Rossi. "I had help picking this out from Garcia," he admitted as he handed the gift to the older profiler. "I hope you like it and Garcia told me to tell you if you needed help learning how to use it she would be more than happy to teach you."

Rossi raised an eyebrow at the last comment and wondered if he should be worried. Tearing the paper from the package, Rossi smiled when he saw what Reid had given him. "You know, I have been told by at least five different people that I needed to invest in a PDA. Thank-you, Spencer."

"You're welcome," Reid replied, letting out a soft sigh of relief.

"I have a feeling I'm definitely going to need lessons from our computer-whiz on operating this thing though. I consider technology on a need-to-know basis, if I don't use it I don't need to know how it works."

Reid smiled at the comment as Rossi downed the last bit of his second mug of coffee and stood.

"I think I'm going to go take a shower and get dressed. Then perhaps you would be willing to join me for a walk in the woods and we can enjoy our white Christmas," Rossi suggested as he headed toward his bedroom.

"Okay," Reid agreed, leaning back in his chair and opening A Christmas Carol.

"You can tell me how you like the story then, seeing as you'll probably be done reading it by then," Rossi commented idly as he strolled from the room.

Reid smiled at the remark. "Merry Christmas, Dave," he said in response before looking down at the first page and starting the tale of how Ebenezer Scrooge found the meaning of Christmas.


End file.
